The Schedule is Out for Readercon 2025!

The schedule for Readercon 2025 is out! I'm on five items which includes moderating FOUR panels. Did I mention I enjoy moderating panels?🤣

Friday, July 18, 2025, 3:00 PM

Solo Reading: Gillian Daniels

Envision / Enliven, Duration: 30 mins

Saturday, July 19, 2025, 2:00 PM

Optimism in Horror

Salon I/J, Duration: 60 mins

F. Brett Cox, Gillian Daniels (moderator), Joey Zone, John Wiswell, Kit Mayquist

Conventional wisdom would presume that horror and optimism rarely if ever blend, but does this prove true in practice? Don't many major works of horror have happy—or, well, happy-ish—endings? Is survival enough of an uplifting conclusion, or does a happy ending require the triumph of the protagonist? Even when evil appears set to return for the sequel? What role does optimism play in underscoring but not undermining the unease that horror supplies?

Saturday, July 19, 2025, 6:00 PM

Erotica, Horror, and the Fear of Visceral Fiction

Salon G/H, Duration: 60 mins

Catherine Lundoff, Cecilia Tan, Gillian Daniels (moderator), Ian Muneshwar, Laura Antoniou

Erotica and horror: two genres guaranteed to make certain moms mad when they find the book hidden in your bedroom. Two genres that every other has tried (at least at times) to put down as shlock or trash. Why? What is it about literature that evokes strong visceral physical reactions from the reader that garners such opposition? (And is "paranormal romance" their love child?) 

Sunday, July 20, 2025, 12:00 PM

Content Warnings: Pros, Cons, and Purposes

Salon G/H, Duration: 60 mins

Claire Houck/Nina Waters, Gillian Daniels (moderator), Gwynne Garfinkle, Melissa Bobe, Romie Stott

Many romance novels have started including content notes or warnings, which advise readers of potentially sensitive plot elements or themes, such as grief, murder, and self-harm. Content notes appear far less frequently in SFF novels, whereas some venues for speculative short fiction have been including them for years. Panelists will share examples of particularly effective—or ineffective—content notes, while surveying the reasons for their rise in romance and the potential applicability of those reasons to long-form speculative fiction.

Sunday, July 20, 2025, 1:00 PM

Harry Potter and the Undeath of the Author

Create / Collaborate, Duration: 60 mins

Cecilia Tan, Gillian Daniels (moderator), Natalie Luhrs, Rob Cameron, William Alexander

"The death of the author" is a well-worn concept about who, author or audience, owns the meaning of an author's work. Such arguments take on a different valance, however, when the author is not only alive and well but using the funds and power accumulated by their creation as leverage to take extremely public and reactionary political action. When the price of engagement with a work is empowering its living author to publicly abuse others, how can we plausibly claim that the author is dead and our engagement is ours alone?

More Arisia! Also, Movies!

The Wasp Woman (1959),
Directed by Roger Corman

I signed up for another panel at Arisia this coming weekend! I've updated my main post about Arisia 2025 to reflect the addition:

Final Girls: Then and Now

Porter Square B Saturday, January 18, 2025, 8:00 PM EST

Misty Pendragon (m), Agatha Astrid Luz, Gillian Daniels, Megan Kearns, N. T. Swift

Coined by Professor Carol J. Clover in 1987, a final girl refers to the female character who survives to the end of a horror film, one who typically abstains from sex and drugs. However, since the creation of the term, there has been an evolution to final girl trope. From Laurie Strode in Halloween to Jeryline in Demon Knight to Maxine Minx in X, our panel will examine the differences between the final girls of the ‘70s to today.

Considering three of the four panels I'm doing for this year's Arisia heavily concern film, I've also added another to my link to my blog: my Letterboxd account! I adore movies and have been enthusiastic about reading movie reviews since I was kid stealing sections of the newspaper and magazines from my parents to do just that. This year, I want to spend more time chronicling my thoughts on films, whether said reaction is serious or silly. Please enjoy!

Arisia '25 and Personal Update!

This year, Arisia is January 17-20, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge! I'm excited to see how the new venue plays out. This year, I'm on three different program items. Hope to see folks there!

Roger Corman: Weird, Cheap, and Wonderful
Kendall Square Friday, January 17, 2025, 8:00 PM EST

Marianna Martin PhD (m), Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, D.J. Toland, Gillian Daniels, Stephen R. Wilk 

May of 2024 sadly brought an end to the illustrious career of producer/director Roger Corman, who passed away at the age of 98. From black and white drive-in flicks to SyFy TV movies, Corman had a hand in hundreds of unique films. Our panel will discuss Corman, his films, and what made his work so important to the world of independent cinema.

I Myself Am Strange and Unusual: The Films of Tim Burton
Central Square Saturday, January 18, 2025, 4:15 PM EST

Daniel Neff (m), Cat Scully, Gillian Daniels, Randee Dawn, Reuben Baron

With last year's release of the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel and 2025 marking the 40th anniversary of Pee Wee's Big Adventure, it feels like a good time to look back on the career of Tim Burton. From CalArts animation student to blockbuster director, panelists will explore how Burton has contributed to the pop culture landscape with his quirky, gothic takes on horror, sci-fi, superheroes, and even bio pics.

Final Girls: Then and Now
Porter Square B Saturday, January 18, 2025, 8:00 PM EST

Misty Pendragon (m), Agatha Astrid Luz, Gillian Daniels, Megan Kearns, N. T. Swift

Coined by Professor Carol J. Clover in 1987, a final girl refers to the female character who survives to the end of a horror film, one who typically abstains from sex and drugs. However, since the creation of the term, there has been an evolution to final girl trope. From Laurie Strode in Halloween to Jeryline in Demon Knight to Maxine Minx in X, our panel will examine the differences between the final girls of the ‘70s to today.

Mythology Revamped
Porter Square A Sunday, January 19, 2025, 1:45 PM EST

Gillian Daniels (m), Greg R. Fishbone, Liz Salazar, Morgan Crooks, Peter Nulton

Myths, legends, and fairy tales are wonderful fodder for speculative fiction, but the field has expanded far beyond The Golden Bough and other classics. Come discuss contemporary debates in folklore studies and how they can inform your fictional worlds.

***

So, my personal news is honestly pretty unexciting! I've gone ahead and deactivated my Twitter account. It was a hard decision, as I've used it to make and deepen many connections over the years particularly within the writing community. Now, the number of accounts willfully spreading conspiracy theories and reactionary extremism has made the site an exercise in frustration. 

Twitter has always been a flawed social media platform, but the decisions by corporate ownership and  to cater to the worst accounts isn't possible to ignore. Good luck to those who are still using it! Certainly, I bet it remains an intriguing source of gossip, but as the site has shifted over the years, I don't feel like I'm using Twitter, it feels like a Lovecraftian entity using me.

Instead, please find me here, Instagram, or GoodReads. It just makes more sense to kick around there these days!

NecronomiCon 2024!

In another convention first, and after a wonderful time at Camp NeCon, I'll be at NecronomiCon in Providence, RI, August 15-18, 2024. The convention happens once every two years and has grown to encompass horror and weird fiction of many flavors. I've deeply enjoyed attending in the past and am very excited to be on programming for the last day.

August 18, Sunday 9:30 – 10:45 AM
Super Weird

South County Room, Omni 3rd Floor

Superhero narrative in film, comics, and literature ranges from the very conventional to the deeply strange. Doom Patrol, The Swamp Thing, Sandman and many other mainstream titles are clearly part of the world of weird fiction. Panelists discuss the relationship of superheroes to weird fiction, with examples of those that fall most clearly into the canon of the strange, from mainstream and indie sources. Panelists: Gillian Daniels, Kenneth Hite, Errick Nunnally (M), David Quiroz


August 18, Sunday 2:00 – 3:15 PM
Angela Carter: Infernal Desires and Bloody Chambers 

Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd Floor
Carter’s (English, 1940 – 1992) work was broad, including novels of desire and sexual awakening, non-fiction critique such as The Sadean Women and The Ideology of Pornography, and screenplays, such as The Company of Wolves, based on short stories published in her collection The Bloody Chamber. Whether writing post-apocalyptic fable, magical realism, or dark fantasy and horror, her work was unflinching, political, and often steeped in myth, fairytale, and sexuality. Our panelists discuss her work and legacy. Panelists: Victoria Dalpe, Gillian Daniels (M), Jack Haringa, Michelle Renee Lane, Sheree Renée Thomas, Jeff VanderMeer

Camp Necon 2024

Readercon this year was just lovely. So lovely, in fact, I'm going to be trying a new convention this, Camp Necon! Fellow horror fiction writers and fans have been regaling me about its wonders for ages.

In order to dip my toe in, I'll be on the following panel Saturday afternoon:

3:30 p.m. The Old Gods Still Reign: Plumbing Mythology for Ideas
David Baillie (Moderator), Gillian Daniels, Lori Perkins, Kyle Rader, Darrell Schweitzer, Dr. Jaime Chris Weida
Some mythologies seem to have been strip-mined for plots and characters in genre work (Greek, Roman, Biblical), while others still seem fresh. Which myth cycles seem ripe for plunder in the world of fiction and which need a break?

If you're going, I'll see you there!

Readercon 2024

The schedule has landed! Here are some of the things I'll be doing during Readercon:

Romanticizing Death and Dying
Salon B Thursday, July 11, 2024, 8:00 PM EDT
Barbara Krasnoff (m), Amanda Downum, Emma J. Gibbon, Gillian Daniels Natalie Luhrs 

When somebody is dying or dies in fictional media, it is often romantic, or exciting, or noble, or beautiful and tragic. The reality that many of us face—pain, fear, loss of self, the gradual breakdown of the body due to age or disease—is a lot less pleasant to experience and witness. Why do we romanticize death in fiction? Is it a necessary defense against the reality of our own mortality, or just a part of making fictional worlds more entertaining, the way perfect sex is?

Book Bans and the Publishing Industry

Salon B Friday, July 12, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT

Kathryn Morrow (m), Gillian Daniels, Rob Cameron, Zin E. Rocklyn 

In our current era, book bans have re-emerged from their 20th century crypt as a popular tactic for censoring LGBTQ+ content, as well as any literature that doesn't reinforce racial hierarchies and narratives of white innocence. How has this trend affected the publishing industry, from behemoths like Scholastic to small presses and self-publishing authors? What new horrors are coming down the pike, and what, if anything, can be done to fight back?

Iconic Characters and Works in the Public Domain
Salon B Friday, July 12, 2024, 2:00 PM EDT

Sonja Ryst (m), Gillian Daniels, Kevin McLaughlin, Mark Painter, Randee Dawn 

2023 saw Winnie the Pooh star in his own slasher flick, thanks to the release of its copyright. Sherlock Holmes and the film "Metropolis" are now similarly free agents. Our panelists will discuss the new shoots now budding from old branches, as well as preview what household names will soon be available for open use. Citizen Kane: Tokyo Rosebud Drift, anyone?

Reading Horror into the Classics

Salon 4 Friday, July 12, 2024, 3:00 PM EDT

Gillian Daniels, Adam Golaski, Ian Muneshwar, Lisa M. Bradley, Trisha J Wooldridge 

Viewed through an anti-colonialist lens, the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder would appear to belong squarely in the Horror section. What can be gained by reading various well-worn classics as works of horror, and how do changing readerships and sensibilities affect what separates the heroic from the horrifying or the whimsical from the uncanny?

Meet the Pros(e)

Salon 3 Friday, July 12, 2024, 10:15 PM EDT

Book Club: The Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir

Salon B Sunday, July 14, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT

Gillian Daniels (m), Benjamin Rosenbaum, Graham Sleight, Karl Schroeder, Yves Meynard

Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series is dense with allusion, mystery, heartbreak, ever-more-unreliable narrators, and terrible jokes. Let's share our favorite characters and moments, point out telling details we were excited to discover, and speculate wildly about what might happen in Alecto the Ninth.

The Intersections of Romance and Horror

Sunday, July 14, 2024, 1:00 PM EDT

Romie Stott (m), Gillian Daniels, John Wiswell, Steve Berman, Zin E. Rocklyn 

Romance in dark fiction and horror can serve many purposes, such as offering respite or hope; clarifying or raising the stakes; or acting as the ultimate source of the conflict. How can romance, sex, and love be depicted in ways that serve the overall purpose of a dark story while still being satisfying in their own right (if that's the intent)? How have different subgenres, such as paranormal romance, slasher horror, or gothic fiction, approached these questions?

Boskone 60: 2023

Look, y'all! It's Boskone 60! And February 17-19, I'll be on some panels.

I'll be moderating two of three said panels. One involves discussing Neil Gaiman's The Sandman with, among other talented individuals, Boskone Guest of Honor Nalo Hopkinson! I'm also thrilled to be discussing Shirley Jackson with other enthusiasts including fellow CSFW writer, F. Brett Cox!

What Makes Sandman Work? Harbor 2, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Fri 4:00 PM  

Brad Abraham, Brenda Clough, Gillian Lynn Daniels (moderator), Jennifer Marie Brissett, Nalo Hopkinson

Sandman has been a fan favorite for years. Few thought it was possible to bring it to film successfully, but Netflix has put doubt to the test (and rest?). Let's talk about what makes Sandman work so well in all of its mediums, noting what works, what doesn't, and what we are most looking forward to in future Sandman adaptations.

Casting Your Lot with Shirley Jackson Harbor 2, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Sat 4:00 PM

Chris Panatier, F. Brett Cox, Gillian Lynn Daniels (moderator), Katherine Arden, Mike Allen

From The Lottery to The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson has inspired writers inside and outside of the horror genre and in the process, shaped the genre. We look at how she turns ordinary moments into extraordinary fiction. What more is there to her work and her legacy? Does she continue to inspire and shape horror today?

A Muddle of Mad Scientists Marina 4, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Sat 7:00 PM

Chad Childers (moderator), Gillian Lynn Daniels, Michael M. Jones, Sharon Lee

From Faust to Dr. Horrible, genre fiction is filled with crazily creative geniuses. Why do we love them? What makes the mad scientist character so appealing in horror, comedy, and everything in between? Join us for a mad, mad discussion featuring some of our favorite screwy scientists and inventors from the past, present, and future.

Boskone 2022

With Boskone's COVID policy in place and numbers of cases in Massachusetts sharply dropping across the board, I'm pleased to say I'll be a panelist at Boskone this year!

If you're masked, vaxxed, and ready to party, I hope to see you either in-person or virtually!

What Is Horror? Format: Panel

18 Feb 2022, Friday 18:00 - 18:50, Marina II (Westin)

Horror is a feeling. Or maybe it's a body count. For some people, it's just a four-letter word. From body horror to folk horror to slasher, we'll discuss the differences and similarities in these subgenres — and see if we can find common ground.

Jennifer Williams, Paul Tremblay, Gillian Daniels (M)

The Queer Future Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 13:00 - 13:50, Marina I (Westin)

With a much-needed surge of people openly embracing diverse genders and sexual identities, how is speculative fiction doing in representing the breadth of identities in stories set in SF/F/H? Is there still a disparity? How can SF writers/creators best write the "other" if it's outside their own lived experience? And what more do we want to see in an engaging queer future within speculative fiction?

Julian K. Jarboe, Andrea Hairston (Smith College), Gillian Daniels, Vince Docherty (M)

Scary Fairies Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 16:00 - 16:50, Harbor II (Westin)

Should you find yourself in Fairyland: eat not, drink not, and think not the folk there are of any trifling pixie kind. Tales of old warn the Fae are clever sly creatures of a most uncertain temper. Listen to our seasoned Fairyland farers, know well that certain other Rules there be … and pray their tips and tricks may shield your stay in the Seelie Court.

Gillian Daniels (M), Sarah Jean Horwitz, Anne Nydam, Esther Friesner

I Love Loki Format: Panel

19 Feb 2022, Saturday 17:00 - 17:50, Harbor I (Westin)

Loki: the Marvel trickster we all adore to abhor. Is it the charming actor, Tom Hiddleston? The fun of seeing his pride persistently punctured? The appeal of his battling brother act with poor Thor? Let’s talk about the God of Mischief we know from the comics, the movies, the TV screen — and the even weirder Norse legends.

Jennifer Williams, Gillian Daniels (M), Kenneth Schneyer (Johnson & Wales University), Mike Squatrito (Association of Rhode Island Authors), Jennifer Pelland

Hope in Horror? Format: Panel

20 Feb 2022, Sunday 11:00 - 11:50, Burroughs (Westin)

When it comes to horror fiction, is hope just a four-letter word? Can a successful horror story have a happy ending? Can it afford to teach us anything positive about the human condition? Or is it by definition doomed to hopelessness and nihilism?

Paul Tremblay, Gillian Daniels, Errick Nunnally (Journey Planet Fanzine)

Boskone: February 12-14, 2021

Arisia may be over for the year, but Boskone is now on the horizon! I'm on panels for it as well:

 

Creating Across Media

12 Feb 2021, Friday 17:00 - 18:00, Carlton - (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)

Versatility is an author's greatest tool in today's publishing market. Whether it's books, blogging, comics, drama, film, gaming, graphic novels, non-fiction, short fiction, social media, or TV there is a story to be told. When switching from one to the other, what do you need to keep in mind? What are some of the key tips and tricks to creating compelling content no matter which medium you are writing in at the moment?

Christopher Golden, Walter Jon Williams (Word Domination), Scott Edelman (M), Gillian Daniels, Mur Lafferty

Female Character Evolution in Speculative Fiction

13 Feb 2021, Saturday 13:00 - 14:00, Burroughs (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)

Is there more to life than virgin-mother-crone? Let's look at how physical and psychological change in women is portrayed in fiction today. We've talked about how the representation of women in fiction has changed, but we'll talk here about how a woman actual changes through time and experience within today's works. How does SF/F/H approach the physical changes, from childhood to womanhood or the later changes in life? How do print and screen differ in this regard? 

Nancy Holder, Gillian Daniels (M), Maura McHugh, Connie Willis, Tamora Pierce (Tamora Pierce LLC)

 

Horror Comics: The Art of Graphic Terror

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 11:30 - 12:30, Burroughs (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)

From comics to graphic novels, these artists and authors don't pull their punches. Instead they excel at steadily building the narrative dread through a combination of disconcerting story elements that happen both in the panel and off the page as they push old tropes into unknown territory. From body horror to creepypasta, zombies, noirish superheroes, organ farmers, demonic ice cream men, and fairies dwelling inside the rotting corpse of, well, never mind, why do we read them? Is it the sheer inventive fun of titles like Afterlife With Archie; Killadelphia; Die; Crawl to Me; or Gyo: The Death-Stench Creeps? Maybe it’s the sequential-storytelling skills of writers like Joe Hill, Cullen Bunn, Gail Simone, Victor Lavalle, or Carmen Maria Machado? Or maybe there’s just something wrong with us?

Jack Haringa (Worcester Academy), Cat Scully, Maura McHugh, Gillian Daniels (M), Joe Hill

 

The Representation of LGBTQ+ in Popular Culture

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 14:30 - 15:30, Carlton - (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)

LGBTQ+ characters are no longer invisible on the screen. While there has been an obvious shift in popular culture, we still have a long way to go in the fight for appropriate representation in film, television, and fiction. The surge in LGBTQ+ representation has brought with it a surge of creators exploiting our desire to see a more realistic representation of diverse stories, often writing characters who are either caricatures or characters in relationships without being fleshed out appropriately. We'll discuss good and bad examples of LGBTQ+ characters. How do they help or hurt popular conception, including self perception, of gays and lesbians?

Jennifer Williams (Circlet Press), Sara Megibow (KT Literary), Gillian Daniels, Julia Rios (Mermaids Monthly) (M)

 

Arisia 2021: Online! Because of a Plague!

Guess what's next weekend? Arisia 2021! And I'm on programming! Which you can see from the vantage point of Zoom!

Here's my schedule:

 

Hold Your Enthusiasm: Problematic Things - Communities, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 5:30pm Friday

In recent years, J.K. Rowling made clear her transphobia. This year, The Flash fired its Ralph Dibney, actor Hartley Sawyer, after several racist, mysoginist, and homophobic tweets resurfaced. Knowing that these people and many others have said and will continue to say incredibly problematic and harmful things, can we continue to enjoy their work? Or is everything they’ve ever done cancelled? If we do continue to enjoy these works, how can we do so in a way that doesn’t harm others?

Arthur Chu (m), Reuben Baron, Rob Cameron, Gillian Daniels, Lee C. Hillman (Gwendolyn Grace)

Writing in the Age of COVID - Writing, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 7:00pm Friday

Speculative fiction writers have imagined all manner of plagues, pandemics, and post-apocalyptic scenarios. Having lived with COVID-19 for the better part of a year, how did speculative fiction writers do? What did they get right and what did they get wrong? This panel will discuss how writers can draw from this collective disaster to make plague fiction more relevant or realistic in the future.

Laurence Raphael Brothers (m), Gillian Daniels, Julie C. Day, Suzanne Palmer, Ken Schneyer

The Octavia Butler future is now - Literature, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 1, 4:00pm Saturday
In her Earthseed series, Octavia Butler gave us a vision of the 2020s that is disturbingly close to our reality, including storms, and droughts brought on by climate change; escapism through addictive pharmaceuticals and games, and perhaps most chillingly a far-right US President backed by extremist evangelical Christians. This panel will review the highlights of these books and discuss the influences on Butler’s writing as well as the influence these novels have had since their publication.
Gillian Daniels (m), Bunnificent, Rob Cameron, Andrea Hairston, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Sam Schreiber 

 
Go Team Venture! (and close the door behind you) - Media, Panel - 55min - Zoom Room 2, 11:30am Sunday
Growing quickly from its start as a spoof of 60s Hanna-Barbera action cartoons, The Venture Bros. built a full universe populated by complex characters with intertwined story arcs that kept us coming back for 7 seasons released over the span of 16 years. Many hearts broke when it was abruptly announced the show was not getting a season 8. Why did we love this show so much, how did it change over the long term, and what might have happened with The Monarch and Dr. Venture next?
Gillian Daniels (m), Lyndsay Ely, Eve Leonard, David G. Shaw, Hildy Silverman

Sunday Afternoon Readings 1 - Literature, Reading - 55min - Zoom Room 4, 4:00pm Sunday
Join some of Arisia’s wonderful authors, while they read from their own work.

Laurence Raphael Brothers, Gillian Daniels, Ruthanna Emrys, Sonya Taaffe

Boskone 57!

What are you doing during Boskone 2020? Hopefully coming by to say hello!

FEBRUARY 14-16, 2020

GUEST OF HONOR: Kim Stanley Robinson
YOUNG ADULT FICTION GUEST: Holly Black
OFFICIAL ARTIST: Eric Wilkerson
MUSICAL GUEST: Cheshire Moon
HAL CLEMENT SCIENCE SPEAKER: Jon Singer
NESFA PRESS GUEST: Jim Burns
(I'm not hyperventilating over the guest list, what are you talking about, don't make accusations at me.)

Here's my schedule for the convention! Any and all changes will be made here.

From Anime to Live Action
Marina 4, Friday, Feb 14 04:00 PM to 04:50 PM (50 minutes)

There's a long history of anime titles being reimagined as live-action films. With the increased availability of CGI technology, this trend has recently picked up considerably. How well do the remakes of iconic anime features such as Attack on Titan, Battle Angel Alita, Dragonball, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, etc., represent their originals? Do they work as stand-alones? Where do they fail to meet expectations, or surpass the original? How well can live actors dramatize anime toons — especially the nonhuman characters?


Living With Disability in a Speculative World
Marina 2, Friday Feb 14 07:00 PM to 07:50 PM (50 minutes)

Navigating the real world, even with all our modern amenities, is still no easy thing. But imagine yourself trying to escape a djinn in the desert, pickaxing rocks in an alien mining colony, or slaving at the hearth in an elven lord's kitchen — all while disabled. The body is as frail as it is strong, and disabilities change the way a person is seen by and interacts with others in their environment. Our panelists talk candidly about disabilities (seen and unseen) and their effect physically, socially, and psychologically within various speculative story worlds.


Great LGBTQ+ Characters in Speculative Fiction
Marina 3, Sunday, Feb 16 11:00 AM to 11:50 AM (50 minutes)

Let’s consider some vivid examples — from Le Guin’s Estraven and Kushner’s Richard St Vier to TV’s Captain Jack, Carey’s Phedra, and Muir’s Gideon. Looking at these and other portraits: Who feels the most real? Who are our favorites? Is progress measured by how much their sexuality/gender is a character detail, not a big deal? What are we (still) waiting for?


Audiobooks for Kids and Teens
Griffin, Sunday, Feb 16 02:00 PM to 02:50 PM (50 minutes)

Audiobooks are a great way to experience fiction. Let’s talk about how they change the dynamic between younger readers and books. How can they be used to inspire reluctant readers? Are there any downsides? What are some “must-hear” audiobooks for kids and teens? And which narrators are especially good at creating engaging narrative voices and compelling atmospheres beyond the page?

Arisia 2020 Schedule!

Later this month, January 17-20th, it's Arisia 2020! Once again, they have been kind (or foolhardy) enough to put me on panels!


Whips, chains, & capes: Superheroes & Kink (Otis) (Comics) Panel Fri 11:30 PM
Everyone knows that superheroes routinely save the world while dressed in skin tight clothes that leave nothing to the imagination. They pummel the bad guys and posture for each other in ways that suggest there’s more to what they do than serving justice.
 
How to Be A Good Fan of Problematic Things (Marina 3) (Fan Interest) Panel Sat 10:00 AM
From NFL football to Kevin Spacey movies to Heinlein novels, our fandoms are rife with things that can be validly critiqued. How can we continue to like things, even passionately, while acknowledging flaws? How do we respond to valid critiques versus outright attacks on the fandom? How are these issues different when a problematic creator is no longer alive? Does the taint stay with a fandom forever?

Catalyze Short Play Readings (Grand Ballroom CD) (Theater Performance) Sat 2:00 PM
A selection of short science fiction plays from local playwriting collaborative Catalyze!

The Ethics of Writing Speculative Fiction (Douglas) (Writing) Panel Sun 10:00 AM
In an online article for Bustle, writer JR Thorpe describes speculative fiction as helping thinking people be more ethical. How can writers grapple with challenging dilemma and real-world problems through fiction? This panel will examine the use and misuse of speculative fiction to confront thorny ethical problems.

The Resurgence of Horror Fiction (Marina 1) (Literature) Panel Sun 4:00 PM
Horror has always been a somewhat disdained genre, even more so than SF. But in recent years it’s growing in popularity and sophistication, with publishers like Tom Doherty launching new horror imprints. But like other genres, horror is defined by specific conventions, themes and tropes. Is some horror fiction regressive (especially concerning women) or transgressive? Do horror tropes reinforce stereotypes or force us to face our fears and weaknesses?

Bringing Horror into Other Genres (Otis) (Writing) Panel Sun 7:00 PM
Increasingly, stories and writing borrow elements and tropes from different genres, including horror. What elements of horror can be brought into other genres? Other than simply ‘scaring the reader,’ what is the purpose of such cross-pollination? Can the tropes and devices of horror fiction be used for surprising effects?

Relativism and the Superhero (Otis) (Comics) Panel Mon 1:00 PM
The last three decades have seen heroes and villains become more complicated as the old stories of black and white morality turn to gray. The motivations behind the characters can make for interesting stories, but has the blurring of the moral lines gone too far? Join our panelists as they attempt to sort out the good, the bad and the morally ambiguous.

HAUNTED by a Busy October!

You know how, in August and September, you (okay, I) say things like, "Oh, I'll do this in October! It's such a far away month, October."

Imagine my surprise that October has turned out to be a busy month! Who could have foreseen this happenstance?

This Sunday, October 13th, 12-6pm, I'll be at the Black Market Flea in the Cambridge Community Center! I'll be selling my comics, poems, an RPG to which I've contributed, and fiction!

I'll have a lot of the material I had at LadiesCon last month there with me, but I'm hoping to have a new zine to share, as well.

If you don't come to gaze upon my wares, may I suggest gazing on the gorgeous art, books, posters, prints, and jewelry other vendors will be selling?

Later still this month, I'll be hosting another Speculative Boston Reading on Thursday, October 24th 7-9pm at Trident Booksellers & Cafe!

I'll be asking questions and presenting readings with authors Errick Nunnally, Bracken Macleod, and Isabel Yap, all of whom have dabbled in fiction with horrifying elements and all of whom, to my knowledge, are enormously warm and kind.

Many thanks to Andrea Corbin for her continued work running Speculative Boston and making a space for genre writers to share their work and talk about their experiences. You should help spread the word around the Boston area!

Now, less of an event and more of a hurray, Tor.com recommend my most recently published short story, "Brigid Was Hung By Her Hair from the Second Story Window" (The Dark Magazine) in its Must-Read Speculative Short Fiction for September 2019! They call it "haunting," which is endlessly pleasing to me. I'm in good company, too, as the list also includes a short story from a fellow Clarion 2011 classmate I deeply admire, the sweet, aching “A Bird, a Song, a Revolution” by Brooke Bolander.

If I'm keeping good company in life and online, I must be doing something right.

Surprise! I'm part of Ladiescon 2019!

For the first time, I'm going to be at Ladiescon, a local, one-day, free convention! I was on the waitlist to be a part of the con until this past weekend and I'm so pleased I got into it.

The Armory, Somerville MA
Saturday, September 21, 2019
11am - 5pm

Much like Boston Hassle's Black Market this past week, I'll be a vendor there, and selling my zines and comics! It also looks like I'll have some tabletop games from Voidspiral Entertainment available with my vampire short stories.

I'll also be on a panel where I get to talk about women in genre fiction.

From Mary Shelley to the Doctor - The History of Women in Science Fiction
12:30-1:20pm, Upstairs Panel Space

Panelists: Tracey Michienzi, Caitlin Walsh, Gillian Daniels

Science Fiction has always been a place for groundbreaking ideas, but it is more than Lucas, Roddenberry or Bradbury. How did Lucille Ball change science fiction on the small screen? What science fiction was written on a dare? Join us for a discussion of the history of women in science fiction and why they are so important to the conversation about science fiction and its place in today's society.
Even if I don't see you there, you should definitely just come by regardless. It's a great con, it has some wonderful vendors, and is well worth the visit.

Readercon 2019!

In a little over a month, Readercon 30 will be upon us! It's July 11-14th at the Quincy Marriott.

I hope you're ready for a con where I'll mostly be talking about horror, because horror is the order of the day!

The Horrors of Being Female
Gillian Daniels, Gemma Files, Gwynne Garfinkle, Arkady Martine, Kate Maruyama (mod), E.J. Stevens
Fri 3:00 PM, Salon 4
Horror and dark fiction frequently reflect the everyday indignities and dehumanization of women living in patriarchal cultures—especially women who are also minorities. For example, GOH Tananarive Due writes about the fears of black women, while Caitlín R. Kiernan and Shirley Jackson depict the stigmatization of mentally ill women in ways both overt and subtle. How can authors find ways to describe the terrorizing of women without crossing over into objectification? What makes these works resonate with, and even empower, women readers?

Fascism as a Genre
Gillian Daniels, Ruthanna Emrys, Paul Levinson (mod), Kip Manley, Howard Waldrop
Fri 5:00 PM, Salon 4
Many thinkers have approached fascism as storytelling. In 1936, Walter Benjamin wrote, "The logical result of Fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into political life." Umberto Eco's 1995 essay "Ur-Fascism" considered this approach. And in 2018, Nick Harkaway tweeted, "Part of the danger of Fascism is that it's less an agenda and more a style." How can the lens of genre help us understand and combat fascism in the present era? What would anti-fascist aesthetics look like, and how can we write them into speculative fiction?

Renovating the Haunted House
Jeanne Cavelos, Michael Cisco, Gillian Daniels (mod), Hillary Monahan, Jess Nevins
Sun 12:00 PM, Salon 3
The haunted house story has been intermittently popular since the 1840s, with peaks in the 1950s (with Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House) and the 1970s (with Stephen King’s The Shining and Anne Rivers Siddons’s The House Next Door). In the 21st century, the haunted house story is enjoying a new popularity. What is it about haunted house stories that draws readers and writers alike? What makes haunted house stories retain their relevance and power?

Boskone 2019

Arisia 2019, from my perspective, went pretty well. It was chaotic due to the different venue and the difficulty of the events leading up to the con, but it went fine. Nice conversations, fun people, and, memorably, a Toast Party. I look forward to watching the convention continue to develop as well as its return to the Westin.

Now we slide from one convention right into another!

Y'all ready for Boskone? Because here's my schedule.

Agency and Free Will in Speculative Fiction

Format: Panel

15 Feb 2019, Friday 18:00 - 18:50, Harbor III (Westin)

Fantasy often makes use of prophecy. But when a protagonist is the prophesied one, how can they experience true conflict, risk — or agency? They can’t fail, right? Shouldn’t this deflate the reader’s interest? What happens when you have conflicting prophecies? And if we’re in a mechanistic universe, governed by the laws of physics, where is free will?

Juliana Spink Mills (M), Gillian Daniels, Rebecca Roanhorse, Greer Gilman, M. C. DeMarco

Speculative Films for the Ages

Format: Panel

15 Feb 2019, Friday 20:00 - 20:50, Marina 4 (Westin)

Star Wars and 2001 are perennial front-runners in the list of greatest SF/F/H films of all time. Would you include The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, since it inspired Godzilla? The Matrix? Blade Runner? And how about non-Western films? Come ready with your roster — and your reasons — to challenge the choices of our film-buff panelists.

Bob Devney (M), Gillian Daniels, Garen Daly (44th Boston Science Fiction Film Festival and Marathon) , Elwin Cotman (Vanguard Classical East), Daniel M. Kimmel

Reading by Gillian Daniels

Format: Reading

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 14:00 - 14:25, Independence (Westin)

Gillian Daniels

Tough Love for New Writers

Format: Panel

16 Feb 2019, Saturday 20:00 - 20:50, Burroughs (Westin)

The writing profession is tough, but not without opportunities. If you have a thin skin, need quick gratification, or aren't in it for the long haul, give up now. Still interested? Where does a wordsmith go to hone his skill? Where can a writer find a critique group? From online to print, a plethora of publications are accepting submissions. Some of them reject with lightning speed; others take months to say no! But say an acceptance arrives. Some pay; some don't. What does "success" really mean? And why should you plan on keeping your day job for a long, long time?

Brett James (M), E. C. Ambrose, Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld Magazine), Gillian Daniels, Joe Monti (Saga Press, Simon & Schuster)

The Power of Female Friendships

Format: Panel

17 Feb 2019, Sunday 14:00 - 14:50, Marina 4 (Westin)

Stories featuring heroines like Wynonna Earp and Buffy Summers have given us strong female characters who aren't dependent upon or eroded by romantic relationships. While formidable female friendships are becoming more common in SF/F/H literature and film, they are still rare. What other examples can we find? Why are they so striking and powerful? Why don't we see more of them?

Kate Elliott, Gillian Daniels (M), Julia Rios (Fireside Magazine), Brenda Noiseux, Erin Roberts

Arisia 2019

Many in the loop know about the painful issues that have been courageously brought up regarding Arisia 2019. After careful consideration, I will be attending this year in the tentative hope that the staff have begun to get things back on track. For a convention that has long prided itself on its inclusivity and progressive politics, their mishandling of reports of abuse and sexual misconduct is disturbing and deeply infuriating. 

I understand why there are those who have decided to boycott the convention. My own reasons for going hinge on supporting local independent artists and writers. I would also like to see first hand, since Arisia's board has made their apology, how they will be moving forward. Historically, Arisia has been the largest of the New England science fiction and fantasy conventions. I want them to grow, learn, and be better, and I want to be a part of that positive change. If successful, I also want to see how that learning process can be utilized to make other conventions better, too.

But we'll see how it goes together. The ball's in their court.

So, if you have weighed all this and decided to go next weekend, either for a little while or the whole thing, I'll be moderating four panels and on seven panels total:

Friday, January 18

FADE IN: Speculating in Other Media

Cabot (4th), 7pm - 8:15pm

Tracks: Writing

Types: Panel

Jonathan Woodward (moderator), Liz Salazar, Katie Hallahan, Mike Luoma, Gillian Daniels

Stories and novels get most of the attention in workshops and panels like these. What are some other outlets for writing? What should an aspiring speculative screen writer know about the art? How hard is it to become a comic book writer anyway?

‎Saturday‎, ‎January‎ ‎19

Tired: Moving Past Stale Writing Advice

St. James (4th), 2:30pm - 3:45pm

Tracks: Writing

Types: Panel

Leigh Perry (moderator), BH Pierce, Cecilia Tan, Anne E.G. Nydam, Gillian Daniels

Writers of every level encounter a lot of free advice on their way to honing their craft. Write what you know. Kill your darlings. Show don't tell. Has this advice become tired or even harmful for novice writers? Or is there still a kernel of truth to them? By discussing which advice might be past its expiration date, panelists will share any pithy advice they have.

Steven Universe: We'll Always Find a Way

Tremont (4th), 4pm - 5:15pm

Tracks: Media

Types: Panel

Gillian Daniels (moderator), Sid Hackney, Fish, Liam McGlohon , Mink Rose

Steven Universe continues to be a show that deals uncompromisingly with issues around gender, childhood, and family in ways both unexpected and delightful (if not without the occasional problem). It's also telling a great long-form adventure story. We'll talk about all elements of this show in a panel that, like the show itself, will appeal to fans of all ages.

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Sunday‎, ‎January‎ ‎20

Romantic or Repulsive?

Cambridge (4th), 11:30am - 12:45pm

Tracks: Fan Interest

Types: Panel

Gillian Daniels (moderator), Kris "Nchanter" Snyder, Bhadrika Love, Dr. Jim Prego, Jesi Lipp

From Aladdin's cosplay deception to the cue cards scene in Love Actually, stories often treat behaviors such as stalking, deception, and lack of consent as romantic, when in reality they are anything but. We'll talk about some of the most common romantic tropes and consider the question, "Is this behavior romantic? Or repulsive?" Please note that this panel will cover topics regarding consent that some may find upsetting.

2:30pm

The Past in Present Tense: Escaping Flashbacks

Cabot (4th), 2:30pm - 3:45pm

Tracks: Writing

Types: Panel

Gillian Daniels (moderator), Debra Doyle, Alexander Jablokov, Leigh Perry, Amy J. Murphy

Whether through flashbacks, exposition, or time travel, speculative fiction often needs to travel backward before it can go forward. How have authors handled the question of backstory besides writing a flashback? What are the advantages and disadvantages of introducing elements of the past through other means (fragments of written records, fever dreams, reality gem illusions, etc.)?

‎Monday‎, ‎January‎ ‎21

Whispering Woods: Fairy Tales and #MeToo

Newbury (4th), 11:30am - 12:45pm

Tracks: Literature

Types: Panel

Gillian Daniels (moderator), Jacqui B., Robin Brenner, Kenneth Rogers Jr., Barbara M Pugliese

Spindles. Tall towers. Tricky villains in disguise. Fairy tales so often served as cautionary tales about very real social dangers. Have social media and the 24-hour news cycle shifted the need for allegorical warnings? What stories continue to call out missing stairs and common predictors? How can and should new fiction, particularly in fairy tale form, serve generations of readers to come?

Moonlighting: Making Money While Still Writing

Beacon Hill (4th), 1pm - 2:15pm

Tracks: Writing

Types: Panel

Kevin McLaughlin (moderator), Kenneth Rogers Jr., Felicitas Ivey, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Gillian Daniels

Now that you're a writer, how do you survive until your best-selling novel gets published? Mixing personal experience with sound financial advice, writers will discuss how to write and still make ends meet. Expect a discussion of jobs good for writers, side-line gigs, and when you should declare how much you're making (or not) to the IRS.

Comics, Conventions, and Compliments!

Readercon is THIS WEEK and my schedule is RIGHT HERE!

I'm now posting daily comics and artworks (example in this post) now on my Patreon and Tumblr! If you would like to support my Patreon for $2 a month (such as dear supporter Alan Danziger), you can see my comics and other content a couple days before anyone else!

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't express my gratitude to Quick Sip Reviews, where Charles Payseur reviewed my flash piece, "Beast of Breath," in Fireside Fiction! Many thanks.

Readercon Schedule 2018

It's happening! That time of year has once again arrived!

Here are my panels for this year's Readercon program, all of which I'm enormously excited about AND THREE OF WHICH I'M MODERATING:

The England That Never Was Salon 6 Writing Panel Thu 8:00 PM Duration: 01:00

John Clute, Gillian Daniels, Tom Greene, Elizabeth Hand, Emily Lavin Leverett
Sherwood Smith once referred to the "Regency England" of romance novels as a shared fantasy world. Many elements of English history, culture, and folklore have been turned into tropes and clichés, creating a broader shared world of which many works partake. What challenges do these whimsical, romantic images of England present to writers who strive for authenticity and historical accuracy? And how do we consider questions of cultural appropriation around a nation that aggressively exported much of its culture?

Born Sexy Yesterday Blue Hills Writing Panel Fri 7:00 PM Duration: 01:00
Gillian Daniels, Tom Greene, Natalie Luhrs, Rachel Pollack, Sonya Taaffe

While analyzing SF/F films such as Splash and The Fifth Element, the Pop Culture Detective Agency coined the term "born sexy yesterday" to describe setups in which an ordinary guy is treated as incredibly attractive and interesting by a physically mature but intellectually and sexually naive woman. The trope intersects with colonialist narratives, the fetishization of childlike women, and male fears of comparison and rejection. This panel will look at how "born sexy yesterday" is depicted and sometimes undermined in speculative literature.

The Tradition of the Trickster Salon 5 Writing Panel Sat 11:00 AM Duration: 01:00
S.A. Chakraborty, Gillian Daniels, Michael Dirda, Nikhil Singh, Kestrell Verlager
Trickster characters populate myth, religion, and fiction. These characters can take many roles, sometimes guiding and transforming, sometimes deceiving with intent to distract, damage, or destroy. How do tricksters influence storytelling and societies? What do they tell characters (and readers, and writers) about themselves and possible ways of navigating through the world?

Reading: Gillian Daniels Salon B Reading Sun 12:00 PM Duration: 00:30